Process and apparatus for treating oil-bearing solids



YJ. 'T. FENTON.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING mL BEARING soLlDs.

APPLICATION HLED DEC. 13. 1920.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

w. w AM w fl T J. T. FENTON.

PROCESS ANDAPPARATUS Foa TREATlNG o|vL BEAR|NG soLlDs.

` APPLICATION FILED DEC. 13. 1920. 1,396,173.

JAMES T. FENTON, F SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH..4

PRocEss AND APPARATUS Fon TREATING ,Specification of Letters Patent.

OIL-BEARING SOLIDS.

Patented N ov. 8, 1921.

Application lled Decemberl, 1920. Serial No. 430,259.

To all whom t may' concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES T. FEN'roN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Salt Lake City, Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes and Apparatus for Treating Oil-Bearing Solids, of which the following steam, after which the is a specification.

The present invention relates containing oil which can be vaporized, the treatment of the material comprising subjecting the material for a substantial period of time, to the action of highly superheated material is preferably treated with hot water for the removal of afurther quantity of oil or like matei'ial,l after which the spent shale is withdrawn from the lower part of the treating chamber under conditions which permit the water to form a hydraulic seal to prevent the escape of vapors at the solid-material outlet.

pparatus within the scope of my invention, and suitable for carrying out the process, is shown in the accompanying drawings in` which Figure l shows a vertical section of the essential portion of the steam treating and 'water treating apparatus, Fig. 2 shows a section at right angles to Fig. 1, this being taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, looking in the direction ofv the arrow. Fig. 3 shows a cylindrical member which with other elements constitutes one form of outletfor solid material. Fig.' 4 is a section at right-angles to Fig. 3. Fig.

ows another form material, Fig. l6 and Fig. 7 are detail views of 'the latter and Fig. 8 is adiagrammatic showing of the entire plant, this being partly imsection and partly in elevation. F-ig. 9 is' ai section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 1.

,.Referrin now more 1 and 2, o the drawings the shale or light material '(hereinafter referred to generically as Shale) is fed in a suitable manner through the vertical spout 10, into a preheater 11,.,y is a trough shaped covered device which having a jacket 12 for heating the same and a cover 13, and .also havin va screw` conveyer 14 operated a suita le drive wheel The steam, a'ter beingI used in the jacket 12 is preferably introduced through the pipe 16 into the spout 10. Thisv device is claimed in my application for patent for sulfur extraction, filed :February 9, 1921,

'Y to a temperature of to a process and an apparat-us for the treatment of shale, oil'sands or other material of like character Th of outlet for solid particularly to F igs.l

N o. 443,614. The shale in a preheated state reaches the right hand end ofthe preheater 11 and drops through the closed spout 17 into the tubular inlet 18. j At 19 is Shown a pipe for the introduction of highly superheated steam under high pressure. In practice, I preferably supply. superheated steam, preheated over 600C- F., say 700 to 1000o F., through the pipe 19, which is regulated by means of suitable valve 20.

e steam is preferably Supplied under considerable pressure, for exam le about to 100 pounds per square incli. The force of the steam is sufficient to drive the pulverulent shale through the inlet pipe 18 and the hot shale and steam strike against the baffle -shale or solid material in the chamber 22 stands at about the lever 23, although, of

course, it is understood that the material may pile up-to some extent directly `under I the baiie 21.

The baffle 21- is preferably made rather thick and is readily removable, since the pulverulent material striking against the same with great force tends to wear this out rather rapidly. i Entering thechamber 22 at a level considerably through which superheated steam, at about the temperature and pressure above referred to, is introduced into the body of pulverulent material in the chamber 22. This pipe is perforatd,the perforations being prefeiablly7 more numerous on the upper part of this pipe so as to direct the steamin an upward direction through the shale. Located along the wall of chamber 22 is a plate or lin 25, which serves tov hold lthe shale a little away from the lpipe 24 to prevent injury to this pipe and also to allow the steam to escape therefrom into the body of kshale freely.

Located below the pipe 24 is a pipe 26 through which water preferably at or near the boiling point is introduced into the shale. This pipe is likewise perforated, the perforations being less numerous on the top of this pipe than on its sides, so as to ldirect the water largely in a horizontal or downwardly inclined path through the shale.

below 23 is a valved pipe 24,V

o cketed member 27 y power applied to 8 a rotary'cylindrical which may be rotated a pulley 27 delivers the treated shale from the steaming chamber .22A into the outlet here shown the bottom chamber 28. From this latter a helical screw 29 placed at an angle illustrated raises and carries 4away the spent shale. The hot watery carrying oil on its surface, which it has extracted from the shale leaves by pipe 30 to a seal trap 31, containing an overflow weir 32, the oil overflowing this weir into compartment 33, and water being drawn out from this compartment through pipe 34, this water being raised through pipe 35, and blown by injector 36 into the inlet end of pipe 26, this water being thus caused to circulate and being maintained at or near the boiling point by the steam introduced at 36 and by the hot shale in the chamber 22. The liquid from compartment 33 fiows off by pipe 37 to a separator in which the oil and water are separated from each other in known manner and the water can be reintroduced into the pipe 34 or run to waste or treated for the .recovery of soluble matter extracted from the shale.

For the purpose of repairs, one side of the lower part of the apparatus, from 38 to 39 is made readily removable, whereby access lmay be had tothe discharge screw and the rotary cylindrical pocketed member. In the upper part of the chamber 22 is preferably placed a screen or fabric 40 for separating fine particles of shale carried by the vapors in the upper part of the steaming chamber. Steam is preferably introduced through pipe 41 into a constricted portion of the vaporoutlet pipe 42 in order to-assist the vapors out of the steaming chamber, and a suiicient amount of steam is preferably so admitted to maintain a slight vacuum (or hpressure slightly below atmospheric) in e to' a condensing system, which may comprise as its first element a .separator 43, in which is located a baffie 44 and in which heavy oils, dust and the like are deposited and may be drawn off through the cock 45. The vapors then pass through a series-of condensers 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50, which condensers are maintained at successively lower and lower temperatures, whereby the heavier oils] will collect in the earlier condensers and the lighter oils in the later condensers The outlet pipe 51 of the condenser system may lead to a device for the recovery of ethylenes and ammonia.

At 52 is shown a nipple through which another inlet such as that shown at 18 may deliver pulverized shale and steam.- `If desired, any number of suchmaterial inlets may be provided, depending upon the capacity of the apparatus.

In Fig. 5 a different device is shown for the withdrawal of the spent shale. This form of outlet may take the place of the rotary cylinder 27 and conveyer 29. As of the chamber 22 is provided with a number of hoppers 60 Chamber 22. The pipe 42 leads the gases each of which may have a discharge gate 61 leading into a closed trough-62, carrying a screw conveyer 63ior any other kind of a conveying mechanism. At 64 is shown a sand pump by means of which the liquid mixture of sand, water and oil is pumped up into a receptacle in which the sand, oil and water are separated from eachother, the water being led back to the pipe 26, as hot water for further treatment of the shale. Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate two different views of a suitable outlet gat'e ated parts.

ByA the use of the process and apparatus above described, I am able to completely recover the oil from shale and other materials, of the character set forth, as well as to recover the by-products in a completo manner. The apparatus and process possess the great advantage over many of those hertofore employed or suggested in tho treatmentf of shale in that no ire is employed in any part 'of the apparatus and hence there is no danger of explosion or fire from this source.

It willbe noted-that in Fig. 1, I haveY shown the steam inlet tothe tubular Shale inlet 18, as being cone-shaped. By this nieans the steam expands so that the steam current fills the entire cross section of 18, and the steam blast thereby acts to carry the pulverulent shale readily and with great force through the inlet 18.

The steam from' the jacket 12 being blown into the chute 10, acts to prevent any great quantities of vair from being drawn into the apparatus with the shale, and also helps to heat the shale.

At is shown a spray p`pe through which water may be driven, to wash out any of the sand sticking in the pockets ofthe cylinder.,

It will be understood that the high temperature of the superheated steam will, to

some extent, cause a cracking vof the heavier components of the shale oil. The amount of cracking, as well as the character of the cracking, can-be readily controlled by the temperature of the steam.

In the separator 43, the rapid change. of direction of the vapors and gases will tend to quickly throw out any drops of mist and any fine solid particles which have passed the metal of other screen 40. Fine metal screens or cloths may also be stretched across this chamber 43, if desired.

While I have referred above to the use of high pressure superheated steam as the preferred agent for supplying the heat, I desire it to be understood that other elastic fluids which are chemically inert, at the temperatures employed can be also used. As examples, I mention air, nitrogen, carbon dioxid, helium, or ordinary chimney gases (products of combustion). Such gases Gland its associand steam may be embraced within the term mass in the chamber to a further treatment hot gases, 1t being understood that igor with a y'multiplicity of jets of superheated 60 many purposes such hot gases will perform steam, continuously condensingv the resultthe same functions as superheated steam. ing vapors and continuously withdrawing Such hot gases may be introduced' both at the barren solids.

19, 24 and into the injector 36, or' the fixed 5.-,2A process of treating shale and like gases can be' introduced at one or two of mateijial in a. finely divided or granular con- 65 these, while steam is used at the other or dition which comprises injecting the same others thereof. l by superheated steam under pressure into claim: I an ek ansion chamber, subjecting the same 1. A process of treating shale and like while eing thus injected and while in mass material in a finely divided or granular conin the chamber to a further treatment with dition which comprises injecting the same superheated steam, further treating the mass by superheated steam under pressure into of material with hot water supplied to the an expansion chamber, subjecting the mateexpansion chamber under pressure, continurial, while being thus injectedand while in ously condensing the resulting vapors and mass in the chamber, to a further treatment continuously withdrawing-the barren solids. with superheated steam which acts on the 6, pparatusiforthe treatment of shale, finely divided material while entering and oil sands and like material, comprising an `through the granular mass in the chamber, expansion chamber provided with an inlet continuously condensing the resulting vapipe forthe material, aninjector forblastpors and continuously withdrawing the baring superheated steam through said pipe, a

' ren solids. supply pipe for material in granulated form 2. A p rocess of treating shale and like opening into said inlet pipe, means vin the material 1n a nely divided or granular conbottom of said expansion chamber for disdition which comprises injecting the same charging barren materlal, means for carry- -by superheated steam under pressure into ing oif the vapors resulting from the treatan expansion chamber, subjecting the matement, a perforated water supply pipe in the rial, while being thus injected and while in lower portion of the expansion chamber bemass in the chamber, to a further treatment low the normal solids level therein, means with superheated steam which acts on the for conveying mixed oil and water from the finely divided material while entering and lower part of the appraratus, means for through the granular mass in the chamber, separating oil from the water, and means continuously condensing the resulting vafor -delivering water from said' separator pors and continuously withdrawing the barto the water inlet pipe of the expansion ren solids; the heat for performlng these chamber. operations being su plied solely by super- 7. In an apparatus for treating shale," oil heated steam of su cient temperature and sandsand the like, a steam-treating chamunder suiicient pressure within said chamber, a tubular inlet device for introducing ber. pulverulent material thereint o, a' steam con- 3. A process of treating shale and like nectin adapted to blow the material through material in a finely divided or granular consuch inlet intosuch steam chamber, a baf- 10o dition which comprises preheatlngthe matefle in front of such tubular inlet, adaptedrial,l injecting thehot material by superto cause a downward motion of solid mateheated steam under pressure into an expanrial striking-the same, another steam inlet sion chamber, subjecting the material while to said chamber located a substantial disbeing thus injected and while in mass inv tance below said tubular inlet, a liquid inlet the chamber to a further treatment with below said last mentioned` steam inlet, a superheated s team at a temperature considwithdrawal device for solids connected to erably above 600 F., continuously condensthe lower part of said chamber below saidl ing the resulting vapors and continuously water inlet, a liquid outlet from said chamwithdrawing the barren solids. ber located above the bottom thereof but be- 4. A process of treatingshale and like low said second mentioned steam inlet, and material in a iinely dividedor granular cona vaponoutlet connection' from said chamber. dition which comprises injecting the same In testimony whereof, I have hereunto by superheated steam under pre'ure into` `subscribed my name.

an expansion chamber, subjecting the materai while being thus injected and wha@ in JAMES T. FENToN. 

